Sunday, June 4, 2017

UNITED NATIONS, May 30 – Ban Ki-moon's ambition to be president of South Korea ended amid the indictment of his brother and nephew for UN-related corruption; Ban critic Moon Jae-in won the post. Now after Moon Jae-in has nominated Kyung-wha Kang, who worked for and with Ban at the UN and physically witnessed the Ban's Department of Public Information's eviction of Inner City Press, as his nominee for foreign minister, Ban is bragging he'll meet Moon Jae-in on June 2 to advise him. On what? Corruption and censorship? For Kang, there is the problem of her daughter's false address / American citizenship; there is also, many say, the lack of direct experience on the North Korea issue. And this, being inquired into in South Korea: as Inner City Press exclusively reported in June 16, Kyung-wha Kang resigned from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs the moment an internal and highly critical“Functional Review” was obtained and published by Inner City Press, here. What does Kang, a long time UN official, think of the UN's World Intellectual Property Organization's work with North Korea on a patent for sodium cyanide? She should say. This question, and that of Kang as RoK FM, were among those Inner City Press wanted to asked North Korean Deputy Ambassador Kim In Ryong at his May 26 press conference - but he left without taking any questions, Periscope here. While Kang was more reasonable than Ban - for example months after the eviction telling Inner City Press, "There must be a process" (there still isn't) - are her policy views different? On May 23, Inner City Press asked the UN about her status, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: I'd asked you yesterday about Kyung-wha Kang. And I wanted to ask you, what's her… she had said to… to the South Korean press that she had to wind up a few things in New York before going for, I guess, a confirmation hearing. What's her status with the UN? Did she resign?

Spokesman: Yeah, she handed in her resignation letter today to the Secretary-General, effective tomorrow. So, she will… my understanding is she will travel to Korea very soon. But, as of tomorrow, she will no longer be employed by the United Nations. So, when she arrives in Korea, she will be free and clear of her contractual obligations or of any contractual link to the United Nations.Inner City Press: And will that post be… is a recruitment to begin for that post…

Spokesman: We're still getting over the shock of her leaving, and then I'm sure…

Spokesman: She's going… she's handed in her resignation. It's not a resignation with an asterisk that says I can come back so… she's cut the ties with the mothership, unfortunately.

Here is a photo of her meeting with Saudi Arabia's mission to the UN, in the midst of the ongoing bombing of Yemen; she said little, at least publicly. She sat in, along with Kim Won-soo now seeking the top stop at the IAEA, on Ban's meeting with South Korean politicians at the UN while Ban was preparing his abortive run for President. What was Kyung-wha Kang's role in the UN OCHA "functional review" Inner City Press exclusively reported on, and after which she (temporarily) resigned? What if anything did she know about Ban's relatives using the name of the UN to try to sell real estate in Viet Nam? On May 22 Inner City Press asked Ban's holdover spokesman Stephane Dujarric, video here, UN transcript here: Inner City Press: there are many people congratulating Ms. Kyung-wha Kang. she was asked, and she said that she's got the appointment because based on knowledge she's gained while at the UN, et cetera. She was questioned at JFK Airport by South Korean media. And so the question has arisen. There's staff regulations and rules that say whatever knowledge you gain while working for the UN, you cannot deploy at a Government. So, given that she used this very word, I just wanted to know, how does it work at the UN to ensure… I know that Ms. [Susana] Malcorra, there was something similar, but is there guidance from the Secretariat to say what can and cannot be used when you go immediately from the Secretariat to a Government?

Spokesman: I think… first of all, I think I would add my congratulations to her. Second of all, I have no doubt that Ms. Kang will live up to the highest ethical standards as it pertains to the issues you raise. Third, I think there is a difference between experience and knowledge. And I think the way the rules are written, it's about using specific knowledge of issue… of things as opposed to experience one gains over one's professional life.

The reliably craven pro-Ban Korea Times said Moon Jae-in should make Ban a "pleni-potentiary" envoy - but why? Even the Korea Times admits Ban accomplished little at the UN except "rubbing shoulders;" they call Ban's cut-short campaign against Moon Jae-in "half-baked." They neglect to say it failed amid the indictment of Ban's brother and nephew for using the UN and Ban to try to sell real estate in Vietnam. This should disqualify Ban from any envoy position too. Even at a UN event on May 11 the talk was of how low Ban brought the UN; ironically the event was one that Ban's censorship of Press coverage of his corruption made it impossible for Inner City Press to attend substantive parts of. This must be addressed.